Sewing gauge



Oct. 10,1967 B, L, NYDER 3,345,748

SEWING GAUGE Filed March 25, 1965 INVENTOR B'M/AM/N 4. 34 1 1255 United States Patent 3,345,748 SEWING 1 GAUGE 7 Benjamin L. Snyder, Brookline, Mass., assignor to Pentapco, Inc., Elizabeth, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 442,762 2 Claims. (Cl. 332) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A measuring device for use during sewing operations including a strip which carries suitable measuring indicia in conjunction with a slide member capable of being positioned along the strip so as to facilitate the location of appropriate markings on the work material. A slide member extends through a slot in the strip and is provided with proturberances which engages the slot edges so as to minimize the frictional engagement therebetween and provide for the easy shifting of the slide member along the strip. Detent means are also provided or positively maintaining slidemember at a selected one of a plurality of different positions along the strip. The strip further includes a plurality of apertures of different configurations defining sewing guides and with notch structure defining a button lift and guide.

The present invention relates to measuring devices.

- a More particularly, the present invention relates to measuring devices adapted to be used during sewing operations.

. In one type of measuring device, used as a hem gauge, for example, it is customary to provide a strip which carries suitable measuring indicia with a slide member capable of being positioned along the strip so as to facilitate in the location of suitable markings on the work material. However, it has been found from experience that such slide members are either far too diflicult to move easily along the strip, which of course provides a good maintenanceof the slide member in its selected position but which makes it difficult to change the selected position, or thelslide member is very easily movable, in which case it is difficult to maintain the slide member in a selected position.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a measuring device of the above type in which the slide member .is capable on the one hand of being very easily moved to any selected location along the strip, while on the other hand the slide member can also be very reliably maintained at a selected location along the strip.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure which is quite simple and rugged and in which the moving parts will have a minimum amount of wear. 1

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a structure where the measuring device can also perform additional functions which are frequently encountered in connection with sewing operations.

Primarily the structure of the invention includes an elongated strip which is provided on one face with measuring indicia and this strip has between a pair of opposed longitudinal side edges an elongated slot which is defined between a pair of parallel slot edges which are situated between and extend substantially parallel to the side edges of the strip. A slide member of the invention has 'a neck portion extending through the slot, and this neck portion of the slide member is defined by a pair of walls of the slide member. These walls, in accordance with the invention, are each provided with a pair of rounded pro- ICC tuberances. The pairs of protuberances respectively slidably engage the slot edges so that in this way the area of frictional engagement between the slide member and the strip'is greatly reduced and thus easy shifting of the slide member along the strip is provided because of the small area of contact between the slide member and strip as well as because ofthe easy movability of the rounded proturberances at their convex exterior surfaces with respect to the edges of the slot.

Of course, this easy slidability of the slide member with respect to the strip may on occasion result in undesirable shifting of the slide member with respect to the strip, and in order to avoid this latter undesirable result the structure of the invention further includes a detent means which reliably maintains the slide member at a selected one of plurality of different locations along the strip, so that in this way the slide member will not shift from its selected location along the strip while at the same time the releasing of the detent structure permits an easy slidability of the slide member. Thus, the combination of the structure for providing easy slidability of the slide member together with the detent means of the invention enables the advantages of easy slidability plus reliable securing of the slide member at a selected location to be retained in the device of the invention.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of the application and in which:

FIG. 1 shows in a front elevation one possible embodiment of a structure according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective illustration of the slide member of the invention;

'FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows and showing the structure on an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows and showing the cooperation between the slide member and strip of the measuring device of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown therein the measuring device 10 of the present invention in one possible embodiment thereof.

The measuring device 10 includes an elongated strip 12 which may be flexible and which may be made of a suitable sheet metal or thelike, for example, and this elongated strip 12 has a pair of opposed side edges 14 and 16; It will be noted that'the surface of this strip 12 which is visible in FIG. 1 is provided with suitable measuring indicia. The side edge 16 moreover is formed with notches 18 at the places where the several measuring graduations are situated in order to facilitate in the use 7 of the measuring device.

V Between'its longitudinal side edges 14 and 16' the strip 12 is formed with an elongated slot 20 which is defined between a pair of parallel slot edges 22 which of course are situated between and extended parallel to the side edges 14 and 16.

In addition, the strip is provided at one end, and at its edge 14, with an elongated notch 24 the length of which is such as to be able to provide the use of the device with a standard seam allowance provision of inch, so that when making the seams the notch 24 is of great assistance.

In addition, the strip 12 is provided at its end distant from the notch 24 with an inwardly directed notch 26 which functions as a button lift and guide, while beneath the notch 26 and in the region of the same end of the strip where the notch 26 is located, the strip is formed with sewing guides 28, 30, and 32 which are respectively of circular, triangular, and square cross section, these sewing guides being in the form of simple open- 3 ings passing through the strip and having the configuration illustrated at the lower right portion of FIG. 1.

The measuring device of the invention further includes a slide member which can also be made of a springy sheet material such as a suitable metal. The slide member has a pair of laterally extending portions 36 and 38 which extend laterally across one of the faces of the strip 12, namely the face thereof which is not provided with the measuring indicia, and it will be noted that these lateral portions extend beyond the side edges 14 and 16. The lateral portions 36 and 38 are integral with a neck 40 of the slide member this neck 40 extending through the slot and being integral with a substantially cylindrical portion 42 of the slide member. This cylindrical portion 42 is situated at the side of the slide member opposite from that at which the lateral portions 36 and 38 are located, and the operator can conveniently grasp the cylindrical portion 42 in order to shift the slide member to a selected location along the strip 12.

The neck 40 of the slide member 34 is defined by a pair of walls 44 which extend through the slot, and these walls 44 are each formed with a pair of rounded protuberances 46 which have exterior convex surfaces engaging the edges 22, so that in this way the area of contact between the slide member and the strip is greatly reduced so that the slide member will not bind on the strip and is quite easy to move therealong.

In order to reliably maintain the slide member at a selected location along the strip, a detent means is provided, and this detent means in the illustrated example takes the form of a row of openings 48 which are formed in the strip 12 and a projection 50 which forms part of the lateral portion 36 of the slide member. Because of the springy nature of the slide member, the projection 50 will automatically enter into a selected opening 48 while at the same time the operator can easily dislodge the projection 50 from any opening 48 so as to change the location of the slide member. Because of the detent means 48, 50 of the structure of the invention, the slide member can be reliably maintain at a selected location even though it is quite easy to move from one selected location to another because of the cooperation of the protuberances 46 with the slot edges 22.

It is to be noted that the lateral portions 36 and 38 of the slide member respectively terminate in pointed portions 52 and 54 which extend beyond the opposed side edges of the strip 12 so that these pointed portions are easily visible and thus make the measuring device of the invention extremely easy to use. In order to further facilitate the use of this structure, the pointed portion 52 is formed with an opening 56 through which a mark may be made or a pin attached to a fabric, or the like.

It will thus be seen that with the structure of the invention even though the slide member is easy to move nevertheless it can be reliably maintained at a selected location, and in addition the measuring device of the invention is capable of performing a multiplicity of further functions frequently encountered during sewing operations.

What is claimed is:

1. A measuring device comprising an elongated strip carrying measuring indicia on one of its faces and having a pair of opposed side edges between which said strip is formed with a longitudinal slot defined between parallel slot edges of said strip which are situated between said side edges thereof, an elongated springy slide member having a pair of lateral portions engaging one face of said strip and respectively extending in opposite directions from said slot thereof, said lateral portions being integral with a neck of said slide member which extends through said slot and which is defined by a pair of wall portions of said slide member and said neck of said slide member being integral with a cylindrical portion of said slide member which is on the side of said strip opposite from said lateral portions of said slide member and which has a diameter greater than the width of said slot, said wall portions of said slide member which define said neck each having a pair of spaced outwardly extending rounded protuberances and said pairs of rounded protuberances slidably engaging said slot edges to reduce the frictional resistance to movement of said slot member along said strip, detent means for releasably maintaining said slide member at a selected one of a plurality of positions along said strip, and detent means including a plurality of openings formed in said strip and distributed longitudinally therealong and a projection carried by one of said lateral portions of said slide member and capable of being selectively received in one of said openings, said laterally projecting portions of said slide member being springy and urging said projection into a selected one of said openings for releasably maintaining said slide member at a selected position.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 and wherein said strip is formed in the region of the ends thereof with a plurality of apertures of different configurations respectively forming sewing guides and with an elongated notch forming a button lift and guide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 526,926 10/ 1894 Littell 33-2 1,433,496 10/1922 Capuano 33-11 1,700,857 2/ 1929 Schultz 33143 2,046,936 7/ 1936 Castronovo 33-11 2,562,335 7/1951 Rundquist 33-143 2,579,857 12/1951 Premo 33-104 2,613,446 10/ 1952 Heimlich 33--190 2,814,116 11/1957 Goodman 33-2 3,068,580 12/ 1962 Orthwin 33-143 OTHER REFERENCES John R. Sassell C0,, advertisement, Floating Triangles, Sept. 20, 1946-one page.

LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

LLOYD V. ANDERSON, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A MEASURING DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED STRIP CARRYING MEASURING INDICA ON ONE OF ITS FACES AND HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED SIDE EDGES BETWEEN WHICH SAID STRIP IS FORMED WITH A LONGITUDINAL SLOT DEFINED BETWEEN PARALLEL SLOT EDGES OF SAID STRIP WHICH ARE SITUATED BETWEEN SAID SIDE EDGES THEREOF, AN ELONGATED SPRINGY SLIDE MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF LATERAL PORTIONS ENGAGING ONE FACE OF AND STRIP AND RESPECTIVELY EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM SAID SLOT THEREOF, SAID LATERAL PORTIONS BEING INTEGRAL WITH A NECK OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH SAID SLOT AND WHICH IS DEFINED BY A PAIR OF WALL PORTIONS OF SAID SLID MEMBER AND SAID NECK OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER BEING INTEGRAL WITH A CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER WHICH IS ON THE SIDE OF SAID STRIP OPPOSITE FROM SAID LATERAL PORTIONS OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER AND WHICH HAS A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID SLOT, SAID WALL PORTIONS OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER WHICH DEFINE SAID NECK EACH HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED OUTWARDLY EXTENDING ROUNDED PROTUBERANCES AND SAID PAIRS OF ROUNDED PROTUBERANCES SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID SLOT EDGES TO REDUCE THE FRICTIONAL RESISTANCE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID SLOT MEMBER ALONG SAID STRIP, DETENT MEANS FOR RELEASABLY MAINTAINING SAID SLIDE MEMBER AT A SELECTED ONE OF A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS ALONG SAID STRIP, AND DETENT MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OPENINGS FORMED IN SAID STIP AND DISTRIBUTED LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG AND A PROJECTION CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID LATERAL PORTIONS OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER AND CAPABLE OF BEING SELECTIVELY RECEIVED IN ONE OF SAID OPENINGS, SAID LATERALLY PROJECTING PORTIONS OF SAID SLIDE MEMBER BEING SPRINGY AND URGING SAID PROJECTION INTO A SELECTED ONE OF SAID OPENINGS FOR RELEASABLY MAINTAINING SAID SLIDE MEMBER AT A SELECTED POSITION. 